I have a very good friend who is of Japanese mother and english father, he has a traditional japanese body suit, a little goatee, and looks like a complete Yakuza bada$$.In fact, he works in a cinema, drinks bacardi and coke and has as much MA knowledge/criminal tendencies as a dead hamster If someone were to come up to him and ask flat out if he were yakuza, I know he would say yes- it would appeal to his sense of humour and he would answer any question from there on in with absolute authority. i am not saying thats what happened to you PDB, but i am saying something similar is a possibility.In modern day, tattoos are no longer just for western sailors and eastern villains, they are becoming more pervasive and accepted in both mainstream cultures.

With respect Joel, it does stand to reason. The idea of such organisations is to not get caught/punished for whatever they are up to. Open handed violence is loud, long, leaves more forensic traces and is inefficient.I can only pass on my Fathers dealings with chinese organised crime, but he paints a picture far less glamorous than the film industry would have you believe.

Their best interests are always served through the threat, not the carrying out of violence. Killing people who owe you money is counterproductive, killing one bad debtor, then letting other debtors know it has happened when you turn up at their doors, tooled up with 10 'colleagues' ensures prompt regular payment.

i was offered some collection work off the back of bouncing, I didnt take the offer, but know some who have, and the speed in which they got immersed in that world was scary. Organised criminals share common traits, irrespective of culture, principle of which, is that all their actions/interests are focussed on monetary gain.

Gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, drug dealing. All big earners, all best controlled through fear. Weapons and numbers sounds more effective than tattoos and black belts to me.

I think that, in the past, gangsters used to train more thouroughly - you has early mafiosi who were boxers and hung out at boxing clubs, and you see the pictures of the early street gangsters they were very muscular. I think that with todays weapons they don't need to be - the gansters that you see (and I literally mean the ones that you see, I have no idea about the yakuza and triads and the real serious mafia) the street gangs in new york, the motorcycle gangs, and those mafiosas that get in the paper don't seem to be very fit. the sreet gangs and scrawny, the motorcylce gangs and the mafia seem to all be overweight and old. I am guessing that they use firearms, and don't bother working out and learning to fight.

I just saw a news report last night about a gang called MS-13. Apparently it is a latin american based gang that has spread over the united states in the past 10 or so years. Its' members prefer the use of machetes (sp?) to kill people. It isn't directly related to unarmed styles, but interesting none the less.

Quote:You just walk up to them and ask "hey there mister yakuza man, what type of weaponless arts do you train in?"

Not saying I don't believe you, just seems a bit weird.

That's pretty much exactly what I've done. You can find them hanging around certain onsen in Japan. You can also find them outside of Japan. A lot of them dislike foreigners. But if you know how to manipulate them a bit they like to talk about what they are, etc.. For most of them, simply asking about their tattoos is enough to get them to start talking. There's a ton of yakuza hanging around roppongi..seedy hostess bars are a good place to start, if you're feeling brave.

BTW huge body tatoos like yakuza (and Cord's friend) have are totally uncommon in Japan, having tatoos like that can only mean you're yakuza or you're a complete rebel (usually an outcast in the eyes of most Japanese people).. It's not like over here where people with big tats over their entire backs and legs are a dime a dozen. In fact that's why most yakuza who go to onsen only go to onsen for yakuza, most people get freaked right out the minute they see the tatoos.